If There be Thorns
by Sango-maru
Summary: When two people come to Inuyasha Taisho's house one stormy day, claiming his mom is dead, he leaves everything he loves to live with an abusive halfbrother he doesn't know. Will he find love, or will he slowly become, one of the eerie flowers in the attic
1. The Ties That Bind Us

**An/ okay, I don't know what to do in one of these, so I'll make it short. I update weekly, usually on Mondays or Fridays. I can be bribed with super-cute pics of Inuyasha and Hiei and Kurama from Yu Yu Hakusho, though. Thanks. Enjoy.**

Daily life was okay in the Taisho household. There was enough food, water, and room for the two of them, but there were injustices too. It wasn't fair for Inu no' Taisho to die in a fire, leaving his grieving wife to care for her three year old son alone, in a world where they could never be accepted. It wasn't fair that they were struggling for the hold in their own lives, and it _definatly_ wasn't fair that her son, Inuyasha, now only seven years old was just so _different_ from all the other kids his age.

Iyaoi Taisho had known from the beginning that her son would be ridiculed by his classmates for his _unusual_ looks. Children didn't like what they couldn't understand, so he was labeled, "the beast," and "ugly". Sometimes the more creative kids thought up worse names than that. But Inuyasha was a beautiful boy, in an ethereal kind of beauty that shone from the inside out. When he smiled, he lit up a room, when he laughed, she could imagine music.

Iyaoi loved her son, there was no doubt about that, but at times, he was just too much to handle.

"Mother," he began, in his child-like voice," can we please play now, please? Please mother, please."

Iyaoi, currently sitting at the kitchen table, a pile of bills in front of her, turned to her son, a stressed look on her face. "Can't you play with some of the boys down the street?" she asked pleadingly, trying to hold the phone to her by her shoulder, while sorting through the seemingly endless stack of papers in front of her.

Inuyasha pouted, then mumbled, "They don't like me. Can't I please play with you?" He put on his best puppy-dog face, which was usually un-surprisingly effective, as his ears were doggy ears, white and fuzzy on the top of his head.

They were unsuccessful on his mother though, as she had finally found whatever she was looking for, and hadn't seen his sad face. "Then can't you just- oh, hello. This is Iyaoi Taisho, and I was calling to check on my bank account status… yes, it's 30290963...yes…," she spoke into the phone, turning away from her down-hearted son, who simply walked away.

Kicking about one of the infinite amount of pebbles and rocks that bordered the small front lawn, his head downcast, Inuyasha began mumbling to himself in an angry tone. Without lifting his head, he watched it skip down the road from the force of his kick. Satisfied with the distance the small rock went, he kicked another, then another.

"It's not fair. Stupid bills. Bill's always takin' up Mother's time for me. Got no one to play with, no one likes me," he grumbled. -kick- "wish there was no more bills, people, nothing! Just Mother and me." -kick- Frowning that the pebble only bounced a few yards, the small boy raced after it and pulled back his foot back to strike.

Suddenly finding himself off balance, the ground came up to meet him in a painful embrace. Grumbling still, he rolled off his scraped knee to check to damage. Although it was bleeding freely, not a single tear fell to his cheek.

He couldn't feel pain, or at least not much of it. Falling down and scraping his knees was like falling down on a padded rug, a dull thump. The bigger kids at school had said it was because his nerve-endings didn't reach the skin, not that he had understood them at all.

Mother had said it was because he was special, and that was all that mattered. What made him special was vague, and never specified or mentioned, not that he cared. In his mind, everyone who didn't have silky, silver hair, and fuzzy, white, triangular doggy ears wasn't special; except Mother, of course.

Sitting in the gravel, he watched the scrapes heal over, another thing that set him apart from the rest of the world, and in a minute, was up again.

The numerous cuts and scrapes he received daily would always heal within minutes, depending on the size and depth. He didn't know why, he was just special.

Without skipping a beat, he began his rock-kicking game again. -kick-. -kick-. -kick-. With each new rock, the distance increased, until it went sailing over the neighbor's house. A crash like glass breaking was heard shortly after.

Not wanting to be caught and punished, he turned and fled, full force, up into the safety of his room.

**An/ poor inu. well, 3 reviews will make a happy author. Don't you love how a child can create a simple game to distract themselves from the harsh world? **

**Ja ne. **


	2. A Mother's Love

**An/ as expected, here I am, updating yet again. I have decided to update every Friday and Monday, they are the only days I can. Remember, sweet snow, and cute pics are great bribing tools though. My story won't stay as innocent as it is now for long, though. Soon it will get evil, in the NEXT chapter. Chapter 3. EVIL. Okay, here I go. this will probably be one of the shortest chapters out there.**

**disclaimer: i don't own jack schitt. literaly, if anyone actually cares, i own eps 1-72, but that doesn't count.**

His legs flopping over the edge of the twin bed, he turned his amber eyes away from his fuming mother guiltily. His ears were pressed to his head. She turned on him again, her voice a little louder this time, making him flinch and press his ears to his head harder to drown out the sound.

"If you knew that it would sail into someone's yard, why'd you kick it!"

"I didn't mean to! "He screamed angrily, grumpily crossing his arms and glaring into his mother's face with great defiance and disregard for her feelings. In one quick motion, she brought her hand to his cheek in a hard slap. His wide, shocked amber eyes stared unbelievingly, straight ahead, facing to the side.

"Inuyasha…," she began, regretting the slap; she'd never slapped him before. "I'm sorry, but it costs a lot of money to replace a window. Money that Mommy doesn't have right now. Ok?"

Brain finally accepting that he had been slapped for the first time in his young life, he fought the urge to cry, instead turning his small body away from his mother. Sighing, she reached out and pulled his chin until his slightly sad eyes were only mere inches from her own almond ones. Smiling softly, she leaned in, and gave him a quick peck on the nose. 'Butterfly Kisses', she had called them.

He leaned against her, wrapping his small arms around her waist, shoulders shaking slightly as his chest was racked with childish sobs. Iyaoi rubbed soothing circles on his back, whispering sweet nothings in his delicate ears.

"It's okay. Shh…I know you didn't mean it…just be more careful from no on, okay?"

Sitting up, wiping his eyes with his long, red sleeves, he sniffed and nodded. "That's a good boy. It's getting late, time for bed." she pulled back the covers and he climbed in. Leaning forward to place a kiss on his forehead, she whispered "I love you, Inuyasha, and I always will," then turned off the light. Looking back one last time at her son, she smiled and shut the door.

She slowly descended the stairs, then entered the small kitchen. The bills had seemed like even more of a hastle than last month. She didn't know how much longer she could keep them at bay. Sighing again, something she had found herself doing a lot more often, she sat again at the seemingly endless pile of bills yet to be done.

After nearly a hour of nothing but pure strategy in the check book, a strange sound came to her ears. It was an unique sound like she had not heard in a long time, yet at the same time, the only thing she could be sure she new. It was like a high pitched dog whistle, like a calling, and she strangely felt herself obediantly rising from her chair and towards the direction of the noise.

Without her coat or reason, she left in her slippers and pajamas out into the cold night.

**An/ getting weird yet? Review if you want a happy author. I'll update regardlessly, I'm too much into it. The next chapter will be more of the summary. I wanna place a shout-out to two people in general. 1.) Inuyukino 2.) Lil-yasha (forgive the spelling, she writes "the silent hanyou", and "always there", along with many others.**

**(Inuyukino writes "Forget me not", and it is a good story.**


	3. Toads Make Poor Tissues

**An/ _FIRST _**

**_I'm going to camp for two weeks sadly, so I won't be able to update until the 30th, but when I get back I'm putting on three chapters almost immediately. Don't forget about me; put me in your favorites, even for only two weeks so you can remember, I know how I am among those things. _**

**okay, I'd like to give a shout-out to Inuyukino, Kikyo's Forgotten Soul, inuchan fan, roshyn77, keeper of paradise, brandy verkler, and…oh, yeah, that's me. (Sango-maru) he he. Anyway, I would like to thank those who reviewed, it made a happy author. I will update Monday and Friday, but will update simultaneously throughout the week as well. Sorry about the short chapter last time, this one should be longer. (This chapter has a greater effect if the reader is listening to "good riddance", also known as "time of your life", by green day, while reading it. I was writing it to this song, and know it goes great with this ending. Thank you)**

No matter how hard he tried to drown out that ear-splitting screech from penetrating his sensitive earlobes, it was becoming painfully obvious that he was fighting a losing battle. With a groan, he rolled over onto his side, squashing his pillow down over his throbbing head to muffle the sound. Unsuccessful, he groggily made his way out of bed, and crossed the carpet of his room soundlessly. Rubbing his tired eyes on the back of his sleeve, he turned the knob of his door and left the sanctity of his bedroom.

The hallway was black as night, and the only light came from the light that shone from underneath the kitchen door, and the occasional bolt of lightning that flooded the hall with an eerie orange glow. The floorboards creaked slightly under his small weight as he made his was towards the kitchen door, looking for comfort. Two feet away from the door, a sudden feeling of dread filled him as his small hand hovered before the handle. Somehow, he wouldn't like what he would see beyond the door.

Another crack of thunder made up his mind as he jumped with fright, pushing the door open and running inside. Looking around, his mother was no where in sight. The bare light bulb swung back and forth slightly as though it was recently disturbed, the light creating monstrous shadows lurking around corners ready to eat him.

"M-mo-mother? Where a-are you?" his voice cracked slightly in fear, wanting only to run to his mother and find comfort in her enveloping embrace. Only an eerie silence answered him. He opened his mouth again to call out for her, but found no sound would come out.

Suddenly a loud thumping sound echoed through his ears, and in complete panic, his mind froze up, his knees buckling beneath him. He slid to the ground in a dead faint.

---------------------------------------------------------------------

"He seems to be unconscious…maybe trauma…possibly…"

"But do you think…"

"I doubt it, but…"

The faint smell of cinnamon worked its way into Inuyasha's nostrils, successful in rousing him from his slumber. He lifted his head slowly, taking in his surroundings while rubbing his head.

"Either way, he's got no where else to go now."

There was someone else in the room, that much was sure, two people actually. The first one's voice seemed soft, full of sympathy. He must be a nice person.

Realizing he was facing away from the two visitors, and still in his kitchen, he turned to face the two strangest people he'd ever seen. The first was a short, bald man with sickly greenish skin, wearing an old-fashioned brown kimono, and seemed rather cross. The second was only a teenage girl; not a day older than 16, with long brownish-black hair, kind eyes, and a colorful orange and yellow kimono. They were discussing something quietly, yet their body actions portrayed them to be heatedly arguing about something. Inuyasha stood up slowly, and walked up behind the two silently.

"I'm sorry, but can I help you?"

The reactions of the two were identical, both jumping and whipping their heads around to see their 'attacker'. Inuyasha choked back a laugh at their expense, repeated the question just as sweetly, sitting down on one of the stools, and waited for them to introduce themselves.

"Okay, I'm Rin, and this short dude is Jaken," the girl said in a bubbly tone, the man, Jaken, looking bowled over at her abruptness at labeling him 'short'. He glared at her, but his stare did little to faze her.

Inuyasha found that he very much liked this girl's attitude, and those eyes held so much care. Jaken on the other hand looked very much like a toad. Inuyasha didn't like toads.

"I'm-" the girl interrupted him immediately, accidentally dropping a file folder that she had been holding, it's contents spilling all over the linoleum floor. A picture caught Inuyasha's eye. It was of an alley, with something lying in the middle of it, covered in a white sheet. It was quickly scooped up with many others back into the file by an embarrassed looking Rin.

"We know who you are, Inuyasha Taisho, age 7, hany-" Jaken was suddenly elbowed very hard in the ribs by a now pissed Rin. It almost looked like he had almost said something he shouldn't have, and it was making an already curious boy fidget with inquisitiveness.

Suddenly Inuyasha became aware that he had no idea why these strangers were in his home, and he still hadn't found his mother. He grew nervous and backed away slowly, mumbling something about apologies, and needing to find his mother. The girl's face took on a sympathetic look, and stepped closer, making Inuyasha back away farther still.

"I'm sorry Inuyasha," she said tenderly, kneeling down in front of him, "you'll never find your mother."

Alarmed, he froze; what did she mean, 'I'll never find her'? She reached forward until she clasped his hands in her own, a form of comfort. He struggled to free himself, no longer interested in what this lady had to say, he just wanted to run to the security of his mother's embrace.

"I'm sorry, but your mother's not coming back." -No, he wouldn't listen- "she's never coming back" -that's not true-she would never leave me-must have just went to the store, or-

Rin pulled Inuyasha's face to look into her saddened brown ones. Emotion swirled in those chocolate depths, and Inuyasha found himself slumping against her chest, whimpering softly, his face pressed against the front of her kimono. "She's not gone…no, she can't be…" he whimpered. She wrapped her arms around his slim shaking form.

"I'm sorry…I know how you feel, my parents died when I was 5-"

"NO!" Inuyasha shoved away from her, toppling over, then scrambling to his feet. "She's not dead! She-she just can't be!" In hysterics, he turned from her and ran in any direction but towards the lady telling him lies.

"Inuyasha, come back, please!"

Tears blinding his vision, he collapsed in total desolation, succumbing to the sobs that sought to make themselves known. When Rin kneeled in front of him once more, he didn't even have the strength to push her away.

His father had died when he was only three, leaving him no man to look up to or learn from. He had been tormented mercilessly by the other children, leaving him scarred emotionally from their malicious remarks about his looks, and from lack of friends. Now his mother, his only thread to sanity was gone; how could he possibly live without her? No, he couldn't, there was no way. No one else would put up with having a freak in their house, he knew.

He sobbed into her kimono once again, holding onto the sheer fabric as though he was afraid that that too, would be taken away from him. She rubbed soothing circles into his back, whispering reassuring words to the poor boy latched onto her. He cried for nearly twenty minutes, during which Jaken tapped his foot impatiently, ignored by the two on the floor. When Inuyasha was finally done, his eyes were puffy and slightly pink; Rin's shoulder had a giant wet spot from the tears.

"Okay, now that all the _mushy_ stuff is over-it is over, correct?" Jaken waited for Inuyasha to hesitantly sniffle and nod his head. "Yes well, I suppose we should return to the mansion now. Come along Rin." The toad-like man turned away from the pair, and strode out the kitchen door, a.k.a. front door.

Amber eyes widening to the size of a small paper plate at the prospect of being left alone after hearing such news, he turned horror-struck to Rin, who was already getting up and stretching from kneeling so long. She stood, and seeing the scared look on his face said, "Don't worry, your step-brother is a good guy, you'll like him." This did little to kill his curiosity, instead doubling his questions. Step-brother? Since when did he have a step-brother?

Stepping inside the black Bentley, door being held open by Jaken, Inuyasha took one last longing look at the house he once lovingly called 'home', the place he was born and raised, before the expensive car zoomed off towards the horizon, and towards someplace that he hoped he might one-day call 'home' as lovingly as the one before.

**An/ for all of you who listened to my advice, thank you, though it does nothing to me if _some people_ can't listen to advice. Just joking, just joking, I swear. It's okay. What do _you_ people think? Your comments have more of an input in the author's works than you may think, so don't be afraid to add your comment. As a side note, I found from one of my readers that I had accidentally disabled the 'anonymous reviews', so now I got it set up so you people without accounts can review too! Woohoo! Yay! Anyway, three reviews make a happy author, but four makes a really happy one. Remember, gone for two weeks, put me in favorites. Three free chapters if two more people put me in favorites, so tell your friends too! Ja ne!**


	4. Changing with the Tides

**AN/ yes, I'm back, and sorry for not updating sooner. The first time I finished typing this chapter, it got lost somewhere in the vast and empty recesses of my computer. Then I couldn't find my written chapter so I had to start from scratch. Oh dear, well here's the finished product. (oh, and for any of you who have an account on AMV, listen to "friends", the wolf's rain version. Or any depressed sounding song.)**

The misty fug his breath made against the tinted windows of the backseat of the car reflected the impassive amber eyes gazing through them. The serene scenery of hills and mountain valleys passed by, having long left the suburbs of the town Inuyasha once knew so well. Clouds and billows of smoke-like fog veiled what could have been a sunny day, putting a damper on the initial excitement of meeting someone for the first time.

From the front seat of the car, Jaken and Rin bickered in a rather cheery manner back and forth, occasionally one of them looking back every five minutes or so to check on the despondent child in the backseat. It wasn't as if he could go anywhere, the vastness of the Bentley was restricted to the backseat. He didn't have anywhere to go now anyway. . .

Inuyasha sighed and shifted his gaze from a large mountain to the infinite forest that surrounded every side of the region. It wasn't that he wasn't excited to meet his half-brother; every muscle down to the one's in his toes told him that, it was just that he was just starting to accept that his mother, his only link to sanity, was actually gone. No more warm hugs telling him that everything was alright, and no more loving kisses to stop the world from spinning after a fight.

His eyes shining with unshed tears, he brushed them off with the back of his sleeve, and turned back for a fleeting look at the countryside, the forests replaced by a mountain lake, the giant reflecting against the glass surface. A hawk swooped lazily over the water, hunting for it's next meal.

Everything would be okay; he had to keep reminding himself.

After what seemed like an eternity, which probably only lasted a few hours, the car came to a stop on a smooth drive, waking Inuyasha out of the sleep he hadn't even realized he was in, to give his surroundings a quick look. The large yard accommodated the greenest grass he had ever seen, and judging by the neatly scattered blossoming flowerbeds, was attended to daily by expert gardeners. Marble pillars stood strong along the granite porch, looking more like the ones found in prestigious museums than you'd ever expect to find surrounding someone's home. The house itself stood nearly 5 stories high, the brilliant brick-work lying complimenting it wonderfully, bordering the many windows overlooking the lawn.

A hand being waved in front of his face brought him out of his awe in an instant, reminding him to shut the jaw hanging open at the beautiful landscaping. A faint blush graced his features, to the amusement of the girl watching over him.

"It's okay; everyone looks this way when they first see this masterpiece. It is pretty though, isn't it?"

Inuyasha nodded at Rin to show he agreed, but in all honesty, 'pretty' didn't do the structure one bit of justice. It was sacrilege to leave it at just 'pretty', when it looked more like it should be the home of angels, not some petty humans who would probably dirty it's purity by merely being within perimeter of it, but sighed, thinking that maybe there wasn't a word strong enough to describe it; the matter shall slide for now.

The intense gaze of the child made Rin giggle all the more, never had she seen someone so serious; albeit Sesshomaru-sama, let alone a mere child. He seemed kind enough though, so she supposed him and her could become good friends.

The three walked up the engraved slate driveway towards the house in a peaceful silence, each to their own thoughts. Jaken was quick to open the door for the other two, and they were let into what was possibly the most beautiful manor the youngest had ever seen. If the house looked big on the outside, it paled in comparison to the wonders the inside held. Every sparkling inch was finely made marble; up to the twin gargantuan staircases downing each side of what Inuyasha assumed was the entrance hall.

At Rins gesture, the young boy raced to one of the stone pillars. It rose high above his head, and upon closer investigation, he saw the etching of twin swords etched in the molding. Next he scrutinized the stairs, with their extravagant sage green carpets running the length. On either side of the stairs large double doors lay latent going to unknown expanses. A sound from the top of the stairs brought his mind reeling back to earth.

"It seems that this 'child' is as uncouth as I thought it'd be; dirtying my house and home."

The speaker was a tall man with long flowing silver hair who was standing regally at the head of the stairs. If his white and red kimono and a large fluffy boa of some kind of animals fur didn't make him seem menacing, it was the eyes. Callous amber eyes like a precious gem glared into your soul with a calculating look; he knew everything you ever thought.

With a grace that only seemed befitting, he seemed to float down the stairs to reach the young child quivering at the bottom. Inuyasha vaguely noted that both Rin and Jaken bowed at this point; this must be Sesshomaru.

Shakily he took a breath and introduced himself. "H-hello, my name is-"

**SLAP**

Inuyasha crumpled to the floor, holding his stinging cheek. Sesshomaru only glared down at him with a superior air.

"As long as you're living in this house, you will only speak when spoken to, and if you are, you will speak respectfully," he looked towards Rin who seemed to be having a hard time not to jump up and help the poor boy cowering on the floor. "Take it to the attic; I don't want to have to see its disgusting flesh."

At this Sesshomaru turned and strode out of the room. Rin immediately jumped up as though sitting on a hot stone, and pulled the ebony haired child into her arms as comfort. Although his cheek still stung greatly, Inuyasha allowed himself no tears. He couldn't cry now. He had to be strong.

A shaky hand held the doorknob still while the other fretfully attempted to ease the carved wooden key into the lock. One fuzzy ear was pressed flush against the wood of the door to hear the click, while the other was listening carefully for any approaching 'visitors'.

He was almost there, almost-

**CRACK**

"Damn."

Defeated, he let his weary body fall to the floor to gain some strength, the stub of wooden key still held loose in his hand. If he had learned anything in the two months he had held residence in this 'house', it would be that he needed to escape. Almost hesitantly he reached up to prod one of the ugly purple bruises his shirtless body exposed. Wincing, he pulled back his hand when even the most feather-light caresses stung as though salt was being rubbed into them.

Pulling himself off the ground, Inuyasha plodded over to the only piece of furniture in the room, a twin bed that lie in the corner of the room, and lay down heavily. It wasn't fair. No matter what he thought of, he could think of no reason for anyone to beat a child every other day as Sesshomaru did. He hadn't been bad, spoken to anyone, or even left the attic-room he was confined to since the first day. The only source of actual air and sunlight came from a small window in the attic, which was connected to this room, which of course he was never allowed to open. It just didn't make sense.

**Grumble, grumble**

Now he was hungry. He fished through the basket of food that he was given to satisfy his hunger for the day. Crackers made a good snack to tide him over; he had discovered the second day, when he had ravenously downed the entire contents of the basket before realizing that he would get no other food until the next day. Deciding that he could afford to eat one of the two sandwiches he was provided, he bit into the tuna with renewed vigor, devouring it in only a couple bites.

Satisfied that his hunger wouldn't eat at him during the night, he climbed into the bed and turned out the light. Letting the pitch darkness of night engulf him, he realized one thing; if he was going to survive, he would have to help himself. No one could help him. He would do it alone.

For some unknown reason, that thought reassured him enough to let his tired mind pass into the oblivion called sleep and out of his misery.

**Okay, so it was a little weird, whatever. Wow, it's been like . . . Months since my last update. My friend Brandy wouldn't stop pestering me about it though, so thank her. Review to tell me if it was good. . . If it sucked. . . Or just to say hi. You can expect an update in three days or so, so just deal with me. J**


	5. A New Maid in the Mansion

A/N: okay, I know that this has taken FOREVER, and you've probably all given up on me, I know what I'm going to do next, and WILL have it up by at LEAST next saturday. You see, I've started babysitting, so I'll be busy most of the week, but if I bring a notepad with me, I might be able to get some of it done during the week. This wasn't as long as I hoped it would be, but at least it's an update, right? Feel free to comment, nice or not, I don't really care, and if you'd like to voice any opinions, or give me your LOVELY ideas, feel free to e-mail me I check it constantly, so you'll get a reply within the day. Enjoy.

Doing his best not to waste any of the cleaning agent as he generally applied it to each of his wounds, the frustrated teen let a small sigh out between his chapped lips. He despised days like today.

The life-supporting sun shown mock-cheerfully through the miniscule gaps in between the blinds, only making the free world not two feet away seem oh so much farther. Not to mention that even with the nuisance of glass omitted, the twenty-foot drop from the window ledge to the dense foliage of manicured shrubs and hedges below did not sound appealing. Not that Inuyasha hadn't tried on occasion.

Putting away the salve, the teen walked on rough and calloused feet to the attic stairs, his sanctuary and only alcove where he truly felt safe in the large manor he'd been held captive in for several years. The room above was neither large nor elegant, but held a homey feeling the rest of the house was devoid of. It felt like his old home. On merciless days where his weekly "lessons" with his older half-brother decided to disclose upon the fact that he was a freak with his leather belt or worse, he could retreat to his private milieu to shut everything out. Here he wasn't the freak or loser everyone said he was, he was just his momma's boy. Her Yasha.

Taking the rope pull in his also calloused hands, Inuyasha pulled the folding stairs down to enter the hidden room. With one last look around the room to assure that everything incriminating was hidden from sight, he disappeared into the dark abyss of the room. No one must ever know he lived here. No one but Sesshomaru that is. Jaken and Rin had known as well, but Rin had gone away to a private boarding school paid for by Sesshomaru, and Jaken had never cared enough to visit. To the maids that cleaned this room as part of their routine maintenance, it had to appear as though the room below was a spare room for company, and hadn't been touched in months.

Creeping carefully as though afraid the floor would cave in, which was a true danger, Inuyasha made his way across the terrazzo-like wood as impossible as it sounds, to the bay window that led entrance to the street out front. Trying desperately to not make any noticeable sounds to the maids that would soon be cleaning the room below him, Inuyasha pulled open the thick mahogany hangings so as he wouldn't be seen by any passerby's, and scrutinized the front yard for any suspicious persons.

The yard was as usual immaculate, the large presages willow looking just the perfect amount laissez-faire, letting the world go about it's business as usual. The grass had never looked so lush. It was in speculating who the gardener might be that he saw her. The beautiful young woman of his dreams, with sinuous ebony hair, strolling up the walk. As if a messenger from the gods, the golden sun shone on her giving her a look of pure, ethereal beauty.

His gaping was cut short however, when the mysterious young woman entered the manor, and could no longer be seen from the window above. Cursing vehemently for accidentally opening to drapes too wide, and fogging up the window by leaning on it to see her better, Inuyasha turned swiftly from the window that just recently held his fascination and back into the hidden attic room.

She honestly had no idea why she was here. It had started out simply enough, go see the guy, get the job, earn the money, and finally get to go see Miyavi live in concert. It shouldn't have even been this hard, this guy was famous for dealing out the big wages. He was a multi-billionaire for Christ's sake! But that was what made the man so scary. Not to mention the fact that if she made it, he'd be her new boss. Oh well, it was too late to back out now. And Kagome Higurashi wasn't usually one to back out easily.

Kagome pulled the small Geo to a stop with a slight screech. So it wasn't the most impressive car she'd ever owned, but it was easy to pay for, and with the increase in gas prices, was pretty cheap too. The house itself was beautiful, everything the ad said it would be with it's tall marble pillars and abundancy of shrubbery out front. But it was also big. Which meant that it would take her hours to clean it.

Climbing out of the car, she grabbed her resume and purse, thankful for her mother's help in putting the dratted thing together the night before, and began walking to the front door. Passing a rather large geranium, she looked up when the light from the sun caught off of something from an upstairs window. Framed in reddish-brown drapes was a boy, probably about her age looking down at her from what appeared to be the attic. Stepping onto the first step she lost her view of the boy, but was immediately overcome with a strong feeling of dread, much like a mouse right before it steps into it's trap in the board games she used to play with her younger brother as a child.

Kagome raised her hand to knock on the door but it was left hanging in air as the door swung open to reveal a small bald man with a face like a toad's holding the door open. When the man bowed she cautiously entered the house, almost tripping over the threshold in the process.

"Do watch where you're going, miss, I'd hate to have to clean these floors after you've touched them," the short man remarked, without pausing in his stride for her to catch up. "The master's in the room ahead; I trust you can find it yourself without my aid?" Not giving her the time to respond, the small man turned and disappeared through one of the side mahogany doors lining the cooridor.

"Well I'll be," Kagome huffed, following the midget's orders none the less. "Stupid little blidger."

Opening the next set of doors, Kagome found herself in what looked like someone's private study. The black leather chair seated impressively in front of a mahogany desk lined with awards and papers turned to face her. Standing regally, Lord Sesshomaru strode forward in three long steps to shake her hand.

"Good afternoon, miss…." he began in a fluid baritone.

"Kagome Higurashi," she explained, catching onto his embarrasment.

"Yes, Miss Higurashi. You applied for my ad in the papers about the housecleaning, am I correct?" At this he sat back down gracefully and offered her a seat in front of him.

"Yes, sir."

"Well I assure you that I will handle no tardiness on your part; this will be your first warning. Fifteen minutes late on a job interview? You're lucky I'm swamped until next week or I would've seen you out of my house this instant." Immediantly his tone turned harsh to implicate the seriousness of his request.

Kagome's face turned as red as the blazer she was wearing. It wasn't her fault the power had gone out, rendering her alarm clock useless. "I'm sorry, sir, it won't happen again."

"Let's hope not. Your first assignment will be to clean the third room on the right, upstairs. CLEAN. Top to bottom. I WILL check. That will be all." With that final statement, the lord turned his chair back around to continue his work. Having nothing else to do, Kagome turned as well, and began the trek to the third room on the right upstairs.

Unfortunatly, the lord forgot to mention which floor, and with six of them, she was confused as to which floor to begin with. After checking the first two floors, which consisted mainly of ballrooms and deluxe offices, which were immaculate, and in no need of cleaning, she decided to just start with the top and work her way down.

"God, it's like a hotel….who needs THIS many rooms?" she asked the crown molding, exasperated A thump from a room off to her right startled her, making her drop her broom.

"WHAT THE?"

THUMP

"…hello?" she asked timidly.

THUMP

With cautious steps, she crept towards the sound. The "thump" sounded as though someone was banging their head against the wall, or the likes. As she walked, it seemed the scorn-filled eyes of the portraits on the walls were fallowing her every step…

At the sound of the old codger's voice downstairs whom resembled a toad, Inuyasha leapt back away from the curtains, and rushed down the attic stairs into the room he resided in. The lady in the driveway could only mean one thing: a new maid. And all the new maid's first tasks were to clean THIS room. The room the "nobody lived in." Therefore, it had to look as though " nobody lived here."

In about three minutes, the time Sesshomaru USUALLY took to question the new employees, all that was left on the worn carpeted floor was a small layer of dust and old stains. Sighing in relief, he turned to grab the rope-pull to the attic stairs … which he just remembered he had thrown up into the molding to stay out of his way in the cleaning.

Positioning himself directly underneath the lowest portion of the rope, he jumped up to grab it…and missed, landing on his feet with a hearty THUMP that was probably heard all the way downstairs. Cringing, he leapt again for it, almost grabbed it, missed, and fell down once more. By now he was getting aggravated with the rope, and as he was about to reach again, he heard the incisive sound of the bedroom door begin to open…

A/N: Okay, erm...feel free to comment, there's the little box-e thing there... I don't mind people ushering me to update soon, in fact, I enjoy them because it keeps me on track.


	6. Close Encounters of the Cleaning Kind

**_A/N: Allo, er… I'm going to update now so….okay. You'll notice that the part in Inuyasha's view is much longer than that of Kagome's… To be honest... I can't write bubbly and carefree, so deal with it._**

**_read._**

* * *

'Hm," Kagome thought, as she took a quick look around the room. It wasn't anything out of the ordinary, just a regular-sized bedroom with a regular bed and regular colored walls. White. The room looked as it was used for: a spare room, devoid of any emotion or personality. Regardless or how much the room needed to be refurbished, she did need to begin cleaning it; her brand new job paying $500 a week depended on it.

"Well let's get started, shall we?"

Suddenly bustling with joie de vivre, better known as 'exuberance,' she swept to cleaning with vigor, determined to make the best of her new position. She hummed a song from her childhood while sweeping the floor, all the while smiling as though surrounded by flowers and butterflies (things she happened to like.) Also smiling, she swept her hair back into a flowing pony-tail and practically skipped to the connected bathroom for a bucket and sponge for the mopping.

Walking back into the room however, she felt as though someone had just been in there; a powerful presence that had been restricted for far too long. The bedcovers fluttered in a slight breeze. Grinning, she strolled over to the window to shut it, but her grin faded when she realized that the window was closed.

Not to be put out by a simple breeze, she shrugged, grabbed the bucket and sponge again, and began the task of scrubbing the wooden floors.

* * *

Inuyasha panted as quietly as he could behind the oak door. In merely half a second, he had hauled himself across the room and ducked behind the opening door before the new cleaning lady saw him.

But she didn't seem to be **_seeing_** anything.

Her otherwise beautiful face contorting into a grimace of distaste for the interior decorator, she critiqued the room in her thoughts. Unimpressed eyes scanned over his bedroom; the bed, white walls, and old hard-wood flooring, under which a particularly loose floorboard hid his most private treasures. The ones Sesshomaru hadn't found.

"Well let's get started, shall we?"

Inuyasha immediately tensed, confusing her self-motivation as an order for him to follow, before he once again relaxed against the bare wall behind the door. This could take awhile.

Suddenly however, his fuzzy ears pricked up at the sound of quiet humming. **He had heard that song before. **That same song… Barraging through his mind and finding no explanation for the phantom remembrance, he relaxed once more to the gentle humming of the entrancing woman before him.

She was smiling.

Actually, she was smiling a lot. Was this woman on Vicodin? Never before had Inuyasha seen someone who looked this beautiful with a smile one than her, and he had the most intense feeling to protect it; to never let the smile fade… She reminded him of Mother.

That thought sent the already feeble beginnings of a grin off his face. He never thought of Mother. It hurt too much… Sometimes he would feel guilty for pushing the memory of her out of his mind, but surely Mother would understand. It was just too painful to handle his "punishments" from his elder half-brother and the memory of his late Mother's death. But this new girl did look so much like his Mother Dearest. The flowing ebony locks, big, soulful eyes, and they both permeated an aura of warmth and compassion. Compassion his brother seems to be lacking.

He watched as in a relaxed trance as she swept her already silky locks into a cute and bouncy pony-tail, something Inu hadn't seen since he'd spied on the grade-schooler girls that rode the bus that stopped in front of his brother's home from the attic window. Watching them, he was able to, no matter how silly, imagine a time when all he cared about were bouncy balls, and when the next "X-Men" cartoon was going to be on. A time before leather belts and hot stoves to burn things like a small child's hands…

The young maid going into the bathroom for more supplies presented Inuyasha with his only chance of a safe escape. In the short time it took for the girl to walk into the bathroom and exit with a sponge and bucket, he had pushed off from the wall and willed himself extra speed to dash past before he was noticed. Then, seeing salvation in his musty bed, ducked under the used box spring and tucked himself out of sight under the bed.

She was never the wiser.

In fact, the only proof of his scenery change was the softly billowing bedspread he had upset when ducking under it, and a mysterious breeze. The girl however, seemed to notice this, at least subconsciously, as she shivered slightly, and went to the window to shut it, only to discover to her dismay that it was already closed.

Unfortunately for Inuyasha, the young maid didn't give up that easy, and began to scrub the floors once more with renewed vigor. Also too bad for Inu, the small, cramped space beneath the bed was littered with the vile villains by the name of dust bunnies, and with his curse of incredibly keen scent, every breath in took carried horrid poison into his nose.

Fireflies began to swim in and out of Inuyasha's vision. No, they were firefly negatives; small black dots in a sea of color, but either way, they began to take over everything he could see.

Somewhere to his left he heard an intake of breath, followed by an astonished, "What the-?"

* * *

Quickly forgetting the strange occurrence involving the closed window's mysterious breeze, Kag hopped to work, scrubbing the surprisingly little amount of dust off the hardwood floors in wide, sweeping strokes of the sponge. Cleaning for her neat-freak mother had taught her to rinse the sponge after every three strokes to ensure cleanliness, and to **not miss anywhere**. But her mother was not strict in the slightest. In fact, while most mothers would be appalled by the very **thought **of their daughters going to a rock concert, Mrs. Higurashi trusted her daughter enough to know right from wrong, and to always do what was right. That didn't mean she wasn't **slightly** worried though….

Getting closer to the bed, she spotted something that definitely **shouldn't **have been there if her new boss' story was true about this being a guest room. Reaching forward, tentatively, she touched the slight outline.

"What the-?"

The handprint was relatively small, only centimeters larger than her own, and judging by the way the smug from the applied heat pressure was quickly evaporating, **very **fresh.

"What are you doing, you daft girl?"

Spinning around quickly to see her assailant, Kag fell on her bottom, wetting her jeans on the slick floor. Standing tall and regal in the doorway stood Sesshomaru, an angry sneer on his flawless face. In two long strides he was before her, and before she could register what was going on, he was pulling her out of the room by her upper arm.

"It seems no matter how many times I **try **to act kind to you people, you and your ignorance seems to always muck things up." The usually suave baritone was hoarsened by his severity. Through the pain in her arm, and the hot tears that were beginning to well up in her eyes, she noticed that he was leading her towards a different room, this one in shades of red.

"**This is the room I told you to clean. Do not go back to that last room.**"

In a room down the hall devoid of any color or special decorations, a young boy took one last look out into the hall where the most beautiful girl had just left, before ascending the wooden stairs into the darkness.

* * *

**_A/N: HA! I'M DONE, WHAT NOW! …that wasn't as long as I'd hoped it'd be, but things will get more interesting as we go along. We can't have the story be almost done yet, can we? … Of course not. What'd be the fun in that? Review as always, it's a good motivator, just so you know. _**

**_click the button!_**


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